Frame type breakwater

ABSTRACT

A breakwater assembly comprises an upper slab ( 15 ) supported on columns ( 14, 21 ) that extend upwardly from a lower slab ( 13 ). A solid back wall ( 17 ) depends from one edge of the upper slab ( 15 ) while a front wall ( 16 ) with holes ( 18 ) therein depends from the other edge to exchange sea water freely between inner sea and outer sea.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No.2002-82261, filed on Dec. 23, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A breakwater assembly to control the ebb and flow of sea wateralong a shoreline.

[0003] Various types of breakwaters are known in the prior art forexchanging sea flows between outer sea and inner sea.

[0004] Conventional breakwaters are shown in cross-section in FIGS. 1, 2and 3. In the gradient or slope of the breakwater is 2 to 1, horizontalto vertical for outer sea side and 1.5 to 1 for inner sea side with arelatively large amount of construction, however, not only much quantityof rubble material and a long period of construction were required. Acaisson or weight 3 has been disposed on top of the breakwater. Therehas been a change in the side gradient or slope of the basic rubblestate to 1.5 to 1 for both the inner sea side and the outer sea sidewith a larger caisson 3 thereon, as shown in FIG. 2. This change inslope and increase in caisson reduces the length of the basic stage 2 aand reduces the amount of construction material. However, the increasedsize of the caisson 3 allows it to be overturned when extra strong wavepower occurs by a typhoon or a storm pressing waves against the caisson.

[0005] As will be appreciated from FIG. 3, when increasing the size ofthe caisson for stability and lowering the amount of rubble in the mound2 a it may bring about difficulty of installation and transportation. Inaddition, the large caisson may cause generating larger reflective wavesthereagainst and completely shut down the exchange of sea water betweenthe inner sea and the outer sea.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES

[0006] A breakwater assembly comprising a base having a longitudinalaxis for support on a sea bottom and a plurality of columns extendingupwardly from said base to upper ends and an upper lab havinglongitudinal edges extending between first and second ends and a frontwall extending along and depending from one of said edges of said upperslab and having holes therein for the flow of sea water therethrough;and a block wall extending along and depending from the other edge ofsaid upper slab.

[0007] The present inventor found that most of sea wave pressure andstrength of power of rushed waves exert in surface of sea level and thelevel just under the sea surface, therefore, opening lower part ofbreakwater may give free exchanging flow of sea water, between inner seaand outer sea.

[0008] Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to makecomparatively simple structured breakwater having ability to exchangesea water freely between inner sea and outer sea and to make exhaustionof rushing wave energy thereof, and to build the breakwater byassembling breakwater unit without stacking much quantity of rubblemound, with lower cost and with convenient working, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present invention is now explained more fully in detail withreference to drawings of embodiments.

[0010]FIG. 1 is one of the cross-sectional view of a conventional priorart rubble mound breakwater;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional prior artcomposite breakwater having highly built caisson with lower rubble stonebasic stage (mound);

[0012]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional prior artcomposite breakwater having the highest built caisson thereon;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of thebreak-water assembly of the present invention, partially broken away andin cross-section;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of the FIG.4;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view partially broken away and incross-section, a second embodiment in the present invention; and

[0016]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a comparison between theprior art of FIG. 1 and the present invention of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The present invention relates principally to a frame typebreakwater comprising multi unit assembled side by side as shown in FIG.4 and FIG. 6.

[0018] A breakwater assembly 10 comprises a base 12 having alongitudinal axis for support on a sea bottom 11. The base 12 includes alower slab 13 and a basic rubble stage supporting the lower slab, thebasic rubble stage being under the lower slab 13.

[0019] A plurality of columns 14, 20 extend upwardly from the base 12 toupper ends.

[0020] An upper slab 15 has longitudinal edges extending between firstand second ends with a front wall 16 extending along and depending fromone of the edges of the upper slab. The front wall 16 has holes 18therein for the flow of seawater therethrough. A back wall 17 extendsalong and depends from the other edge of the upper slab 15. A concretecap 19 is disposed on the upper slab 15.

[0021] The lower slab 13 supports the columns 14, 20, which are disposedin longitudinally aligned rows. A plurality of cross beams 21 extendtransversely to the longitudinal axis between the vertical columns 20.

[0022] The columns 14, 20 include vertical columns 20 disposed inlongitudinally aligned rows and inclined columns 14 on both longitudinalsides of the vertical columns 20 and inclined outwardly and downwardlyfrom the upper ends of the vertical columns 20 to the base 12.

[0023] The plurality of cross beams 21 extend transversely to thelongitudinal axis between and interconnecting the vertical and inclinedcolumns 14, 20. A pair of the vertical columns 20 are alignedtransversely to the longitudinal axis with a pair of oppositely inclinedcolumns 14.

[0024] The front 16 and back 17 walls are inclined outwardly anddownwardly from the edges of the upper slab 15 and rest upon theinclined columns 14. The back wall 17 is solid and devoid of openingstherethrough.

[0025] The upper 15 and lower slabs 13 have longitudinal ends definingmale and female keys 22, 23 for interlocking a plurality of assembliesin end to end relationship with one another.

[0026] All of the same components are included in the embodiment of FIG.6 except they are denoted with the letter “a”. The difference in theembodiment in FIG. 6 is that the front 16 a and back 17 a walls dependvertically downwardly from the edges of the upper slab 15 a. There areno inclined columns in the embodiment of FIG. 6.

1. A breakwater assembly 10 comprising: a base having a longitudinalaxis for support on a sea bottom; a plurality of columns extendingupwardly from said base to upper ends; an upper slab having longitudinaledges extending between first and second ends; a front wall extendingalong and depending from one of said edges of said upper slab and havingholes therein for the flow of sea water therethrough; and a back ballextending along and depending from the other edge of said upper slab. 2.An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said columns are disposed inlongitudinally aligned rows.
 3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2including a plurality of cross beams extending transversely to saidlongitudinal axis between said vertical columns.
 4. An assembly as setforth in claim 1 wherein said columns include vertical columns disposedin longitudinally aligned rows and inclined columns on both longitudinalsides of said vertical columns and inclined outwardly and downwardlyfrom said upper ends of said vertical columns to said base.
 5. Anassembly as set forth in claim 4 including a plurality of cross beamsextending transversely to said longitudinal axis between andinterconnecting said vertical and inclined columns.
 6. An assembly asset forth in claim 5 wherein a pair of said vertical columns are alignedtransversely to said longitudinal axis with a pair of oppositelyinclined columns.
 7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein saidfront and back walls are inclined outwardly and rest upon said inclinedcolumns.
 8. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said back wallis solid and devoid of openings therethrough.
 9. An assembly as setforth in claim 1 wherein said front and back walls are inclinedoutwardly and downwardly from said edges of said upper slab.
 10. Anassembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said front and back wallsdepend vertically downwardly from said edges of said upper slab.
 11. Anassembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base includes a lower slabsupporting said columns 20 and a basic rubble stage supporting saidlower slab, said basic rubble stage being under said lower slab.
 12. Anassembly as set forth in claim 1 including a concrete cap disposed onsaid upper slab.
 13. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbase 12 includes a lower slab and said upper and lower slabs havelongitudinal ends defining male and female keys for interlocking aplurality of assemblies in end to end relationship with one another.